Dr Diganta Das
Transdisciplinary collaboration for addressing global challenges
Dr Diganta Das, Reader in Porous Media in the Department of Chemical Engineering, embodies the spirit of intellectual exploration and global collaboration that epitomises the IAS. Dr Das boasts a diverse range of research interests, spanning water and soil security to drug delivery devices for skin. Recognizing the potential of collaboration offered by the IAS, he became actively engaged with the Institute from its foundation, initiating a series of groundbreaking projects that have left a lasting impact on the academic world.
Through the IAS, Dr Das has welcomed six scholars from around the world, including Professor Brijesh Yadav (IIT Roorkee, India), Professor Suresh Kartha (IIT Guwahati, India), Professor Herman Potgieter (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) Professor Mustafa Ersoz (Selcuk University, Turkey), Professor Alamelu Sundaresan (Texas Southern University, USA) and Professor Akhilendra Bhushan Gupta (NIT Jaipur, India).
Dr Das’s collaborations with the IAS have been fruitful. In 2018, he played a pivotal role in co-developing a course with Professor Suresh Kartha, funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India. This collaboration led to the course being delivered at IIT Guwahati, transcending geographical boundaries, and enriching the educational experience of students on both sides of the globe. Moreover, Dr Das's partnership with Professor Brijesh Yadav, also from IIT Roorkee, resulted in additional funding that enabled them to address the critical issue of oil contamination in Indian water bodies. Their collaborative research yielded three influential articles in the journals Chemosphere, Journal of Environmental Engineering, and the Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste, a workshop at IIT Roorkee, and vital support for a Ph.D. student at IIT Roorkee. One of the highlights of this collaboration was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IIT Roorkee and Loughborough University which formalized the research collaboration, offering opportunities for faculty and student exchanges across various fields.
During 2019-20, Dr Das contributed to the IAS Annual Theme: Water. Through the Theme, he facilitated collaborations with scholars from low and middle-income countries grappling with water-related challenges, while fostering global relationships and knowledge exchange. Dr Das was also engaged with the 2022-3 Annual Theme, Breathe, through which he invited two distinguished fellows, Professor Alamelu Sundaresan from Texas Southern University, USA, and Professor Akhilendra Bhushan Gupta from NIT Jaipur, India, aligning their research interests with the Theme.
Reflecting on his experiences, Dr Das emphasized the invaluable benefits of the IAS in strengthening relationships with collaborators and advancing initial research efforts: “There’s no way we could have got so many Fellows coming to Loughborough without IAS support, it would not have been possible”.
Dr Diganta Das's journey with the Institute of Advanced Studies at Loughborough University exemplifies the power of collaboration, international cooperation, and the relentless pursuit of academic excellence. His story is truly inspiring, highlighting the transformative potential of partnerships in addressing pressing global challenges.